Bay County magistrate halves fine after property at 4941 Deerwood Avenue brought into compliance

A Bay County special magistrate reduced a $700 code-enforcement fine to $350 and closed the case after photos and testimony showed the property at 4941 Deerwood Avenue had been brought into compliance.

The ruling came at a Sept. 11 special magistrate hearing. Tim Justice, special magistrate and investigator for Bay County Code Enforcement, told the hearing that a compliance hearing on June 19, 2025, had found the respondent failed to comply with an earlier order and that notices and photographs were in the case file. Justice said staff had initially been directed to abate the nuisance and place any incidental enforcement costs as a lien on the property if necessary.

Kimberly McGee, who identified herself as the property owner and gave the address 4941 Deerwood Avenue, said she had hired a contractor who did not complete all the work and that she experienced two major health events in 2024 and 2025, including heart and kidney surgeries. McGee said she then took responsibility and had the remaining violations corrected.

Code enforcement recommended the magistrate impose the original $700 fine plus statutory interest and to record any costs as a lien in Bay County public records. Justice said the county did not incur abatement costs for this case and recommended fines stemmed from the original hearing and the compliance hearing.

At the hearing, the magistrate told McGee he would reduce the fine by half, to $350, noting the property was now in compliance. The magistrate recorded the reduction and closed code enforcement case 20250155.

The order states that, if costs are recorded later, they would constitute a lien against the property under Chapter 21 of the Bay County Code and the county's Uniform Assessment Collection procedures.